098 GERMAN FLAK DEFENSES vs ALLIED HEAVY BOMBERS

1-978098

The air battle that raged over Germany in WWII has often been described as a battle between Allied and German fighters but what has been frequently missed by historians on all sides is the impact of German anti-aircraft defenses (flak). Though often dismissed as ineffective and a waste of valuable material and personnel, the German flak arm made a major contribution to the defence of the Third Reich -- at least half of the American aircraft shot down over Germany fell to flak, and according to the RAF Official History, it was estimated that flak accounted for 1229 of 3302 aircraft lost by Bomber Command between 1942 and April 1945.

Additionally, the strategic role of flak extended beyond simply shooting down aircraft -- its other, more important task was to force bombers to drop their ordnance sooner or from a higher altitude, thus reducing bombing accuracy. Both these roles are explored in depth in this detailed study of the German flak defences and of their adversaries, the Allied heavy bombers. Includes full-color illustrations including cockpit scenes and armament views.